Antidermatophytic Potential of Selected Ethno Medicinal Plants from Paderu, Visakhapatnam, India.

In the present work ethylacetate and methanolic bark extract of Aegle marmelos(L) Correa, Alstonia scholaris (L)R.Br, Alstonia venenata (L)R.Br, Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook .F.Thoms, Dilenia pentagyna Roxb, Macaranga peltata Roxb Mueller, Oroxylum indicum (L)Vent, Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC and Zizipus oenoplia (L) Mill, were tested against Trychophyton rubrum a clinical isolate from skin scrapings of Taenia Corporis  using Agarwell diffusion method and its minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) was also determined by Broth dilution method. Out of all the Methanolic bark extracts Oroxylum indicum Vent showed highest zone of inhibition followed by Alstonia venenata Linn, at 50 µgrams concentration. Clotrimazole was used as standard antifungal drug. MIC was found to be between 10µg - 1000µg per ml. Oroxylum indicum and Alstonia venenata showed MIC proportional to their zone of inhibition. Both bark extracts could be potential natural healing agents against Ringworm  or Taenia disease . Further investigation is needed to identify the compound which was present in both the plant barks to develop a novel drug.